The news of Steve Jobs passing has left me at a loss for words. I've been thinking of writing something all day, but haven't been able to. It also just felt wrong to publish anything unrelated to him personally.

For some strange reason I feel like I knew Steve. Just the fact that I feel entitled to call him just Steve is interesting. I know I'm not alone on this. He was inspirational. A man who followed his dreams no matter what was happening around him. He had a vision, a passion, and he believed in it. And he made it happen.

I've been thinking about what I've admired about Steve Jobs all day, and I just went back to a post I wrote about the 2005 Stanford University commencement speech in which I quoted what is probably my favourite lesson from Steve:

Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do.

Everyone should read that speech. It's full of invaluable life lessons.

Most of the world knows Steve Jobs for his work with Apple. But we should also remember his work with Pixar. A company he turned into what's arguably the worlds best animation studio that has consistently produced amazing films.

What hit me a few moments ago is that I'm not only lucky to use and enjoy Apple products that make me happy, but I also get to enjoy the Pixar films with my family. I have a baby daughter who's obsessed with Woody and Mike Wazowski at the moment and we've spent countless hours watching those films together. What more can I ask?

What's interesting is that we watch our favourite Pixar films streaming from an iMac onto an Apple TV. Sometimes controlled via the Remote app on my iPhone or iPad.

There's no denying Steve Jobs has left his mark in my life. And I thank him for it.

Next time I watch Toy Story and see Steve Jobs name come up I'm sure it'll feel very different from the many times I've seen it before.

Disturbances in the wash

Hello. I'm Gabriel Ponzanelli and this is where I explore photography, design, technology, and other creative topics. My day job is in digital marketing and advertising, so themes around this will occasionally pop up. Learn more here.

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